Founder-led CPG consultancy
Jai Development is a New York based food and beverage consulting firm. We help our clients take their idea from concept to product on the shelf at retail.
A note from our founder
Before I started JAI Development, I launched my own CPG beverage brand from a New York kitchen. I've been through the highs and lows of taking a product from concept to retail, including the formulation rounds that miss the mark, the co-packer that ghosts you, and the production run that doesn't make spec. That is why I started JAI: to be an experienced partner that guides brands through each step of the commercialization process.
At JAI, our entire team is built from food scientists and operators who have shipped and sold real products. We don't hand you a deck and walk away. We stay with you through the entire process: defining your product clearly, tasting multiple formulation variations, and managing your commercial production runs, in our lab and on the line at your co-packer. We are part of your team.
"At JAI, your victory is ours."Meet Matt and the JAI team
Trusted by founders
From concept to retail shelves
We're embedded with food and beverage founders through the full CPG product development process: from the first formulation round in our New York lab through every commercial production run at your manufacturing partner.
In our New York Lab
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At your co-packer
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What we develop
JAI's lab specializes in food and beverage product development for the functional health and wellness space. From novel beverage formulations to ready-to-mix powders, across functional, alcohol-alternative, and traditional categories.
Better-for-you carbonated drinks with prebiotics, fiber, or adaptogens. The new wave that replaced legacy soda on retail shelves.
Natural caffeine, L-theanine, and nootropics. Energy that doesn't end in the afternoon crash.
Electrolytes, minerals, and amino acids. Formulated for workouts, hangovers, and the long flight home.
Prebiotic and probiotic drinks, fermented beverages, and gut-support shots. Digestive wellness that tastes like a treat, not a supplement.
Whey, plant, and collagen protein. From shelf-stable shakes to the new wave of clear, refreshing protein RTDs that drink like sparkling water.
Microdosed THC, CBD, kava, kanna, and other functional botanicals in tonics, seltzers, and elixirs. The new social drink for the post-alcohol generation.
All the ritual, none of the alcohol. Sophisticated NA across beer, wine, and craft cocktails. Permanent shelf space, not a passing trend.
Ready-to-drink cocktails, hard seltzers, and spirit-based drinks. Full flavor and balance at retail ABV, formulated to scale.
Cold-brewed, kombucha-fermented, chai concentrates, and functional infusions. Premium tea built beyond the bottled-tea aisle.
Cold brew, nitro, oat-milk lattes, and single-origin specialty. Café-grade coffee in cans, bottles, and concentrates at retail scale.
Whey, plant, and collagen. Taste-first formulations in tubs, sticks, and single-serve sachets.
Whole-food blends with adaptogens, probiotics, and superfoods. Daily wellness in one scoop.
Single-serve electrolyte sticks with clean labels. Function-first hydration anywhere.
Natural caffeine, nootropics, and B-vitamins in sticks and sachets. From pre-workout to morning ritual.
Prebiotic, psyllium, and apple-pectin blends. Gut health that mixes flavor-neutral into anything.
Hormone-supporting botanicals, iron, folate, and beauty collagen. Wellness powders formulated for women's cycles, energy, and skin.
Case Studies
Formulation + Production Operations
11
SKUs formulated
4
Co-packers
30%
COGS reduction
Curious Elixirs turned an unscalable brewed recipe into a non-alcoholic category leader that has scaled past $50M in revenue. JAI has formulated each of their 11 SKUs and run the brand's production operations across 4 co-packers since 2018. The partnership has resulted in a 30% blended COGS reduction, as well as rapid revenue growth.
Read the case study →
Formulation + Production Operations
Multi
SKU runs
Ongoing
Production ops
Multiple
Co-packers
Stillers Soda is Ben Stiller's entry into the fast-growing functional soda category. JAI helped the brand formulate all SKUs and continues to manage end-to-end operations for each production run across multiple co-packers.
Case study coming soonInsights
Founder's guide
From kitchen sample to first retail PO: validate, formulate, find a co-packer, and run your first production. Free PRD template included.
Read the guideProduction Operations
The six-point framework JAI uses to evaluate co-packers, the questions to ask, and the red flags to walk away from. Free scorecard included.
Read the guideFree founder tools
These are the same tools we use with our clients. They're free to download, and they'll help you make better decisions before you spend real money. Just add your email and we'll send them over.
A 30-minute call with Matt, our founder and CEO, is the fastest way to know if we're the right fit.
Book a free 30-min consultation